1. Field of the Invention
The invention herein pertains to a gate valve actuator and particularly to an actuator for manually opening the gate valve on a drainage pipe of a recreational vehicle (RV).
2. Description of The Prior Art And Objectives Of The Invention
Manual gate valve actuators such as in U.S. Pat. No. 5,455,190 are standard, but are cumbersome to build and difficult to attach properly to drainage pipes on RV's. Also, under adverse conditions the linkages may bind, or fail to operate properly. In prior devices with multiple links connecting the support member to the valve stem, it has been difficult to hold each link in place as the coupling was connected to the valve stem. Parts could tarnish or corrode, making movement between such parts difficult and uneven. Likewise, standard manual gate valve actuators utilized many components and manufacturing steps.
Additionally, gate valve actuators are frequently only capable of being used with one size of gate valve (typically a three inch gate valve). A further problem with most conventional gate valves is that individuals with little hand strength may find it difficult to turn the gate valve actuator handle without assistance.
Thus, with the problems associated with prior art gate valve actuators, the present invention was conceived and it is an object herein to provide an improved actuator which eliminates the need for excess couplings for attachment to the gate valve.
It is a further object of this invention to create an actuator from molded plastic requiring fewer manufacturing steps.
It is another object of this invention to make a gate valve actuator which is relatively low in cost to produce so that such savings may be passed on to the consumer.
It is a further object of this invention to make a gate valve actuator which has a smooth action so that relatively little manual strength is required to open a gate valve.
It is still a further object of this invention to make a gate valve actuator which is long lasting despite the harsh road and weather conditions to which it may be exposed.
It is another objective to provide a gate valve actuator which is adapted to fit on differently sized gate valves.
It is yet another objective to provide a gate valve actuator which can be used with a conventional tire iron for additional leverage.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as a more detailed analysis of the illustrations is undertaken below.